Women’s World Championship Pool Previews: Pool D

The most prestigious event in the international volleyball calendar in the 2025 season, the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship is set to enter a new era later this week, when the 20th edition of the tournament starts in Thailand.

This year’s tournament, which will be held across four cities – Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Phuket and Chiang Mai - from August 22 to September 7, will go down as the first in the new format, which will see the world title put in dispute every two years.

• Watch the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship 2025 live on VBTV

The event will also be the first to have an expanded field of 32 national teams, allowing more countries to participate in the sport’s main event and generating more opportunities for them to continue their development.

The 32 national teams were split into eight pools of four and will face each of their three opponents during pool play. The top two national teams in each pool will advance to the elimination rounds, which will feature the Round of 16, the quarterfinals, the semifinals and the medal matches.

Pool play will have as many as 48 matches held in the four host cities between August 22 and 27. For the elimination rounds, the competition moves entirely to Bangkok, which will host the Round of 16 from August 29 to September 1, the quarterfinals on September 3-4, the semifinals on September 6 and the medal matches on September 7.

It will be a historic edition of the World Championship and in the days leading up to the start of the tournament, we’ll preview each of the eight pools, giving you all the information you need to tune in on VBTV and enjoy the matches.

Pool D

Host City: Nakhon Ratchasima

Match Schedule

August 22 – Czechia vs. Argentina – 16:00 local time (9:00 GMT)
August 22 – USA vs. Slovenia – 19:30 local time (12:30 GMT)
August 24 – Czechia vs. Slovenia – 16:00 local time (9:00 GMT)
August 24 – USA vs. Argentina – 19:30 local time (12:30 GMT)
August 26 – Argentina vs. Slovenia – 16:00 local time (9:00 GMT)
August 26 – USA vs. Czechia – 19:30 local time (12:30 GMT)

USA

The silver medal won at the 2023 NORCECA Championship qualified the Americans for the World Championship as they picked one of the three spots the continent had in the qualification process. With that, the Americans are set to compete in the event for the 18^th time. They only missed the 1952 and 1962 editions and won five medals – gold in 2014, silver in 1967 and 2002 and bronze in 1982 and 1990.

The Americans entered the 2025 season with a new head coach in Erik Sullivan and are currently the seventh-best national team in the planet according to the FIVB World Rankings. Setter Jordyn Poulter, outside hitter Avery Skinner and middle blocker Dana Rettke are the only three players who won silver at last year’s Paris Olympics selected for the World Championship squad and will work with some rising stars, such as opposite Madisen Skinner, outside hitter Sarah Franklin, middle blocker Tia Jimerson and libero Lexi Rodriguez.

Czechia

Czechia claimed one of the 15 spots available via the FIVB World Ranking and are set to make back-to-back appearances in the tournament after finishing 18^th in 2022. The country’s national team has been in 12 editions of the World Championship and made it to the podium twice, winning bronze in the inaugural event in 1952 and in 1960.

Occupying the 13^th place in the FIVB World Ranking after their first appearance in the Volleyball Nations League a couple of months ago, the Czech are led by Greek head coach Giannis Athanasopoulos. Some standouts in their VNL campaign will lead the team in Thailand, such as opposite Monika Brancuská, outside hitters Helena Grozer and Michaela Mlejnková, middle blocker Magdaléna Jehlářová and libero Daniela Digrinová.

Argentina

Argentina booked their tickets to Thailand with their second-place finish at the 2023 South American Championship, which gave them one of the spots reserved for the continent at the World Championship. In 2025, the Argentineans will make their seventh appearance in the event and their fourth straight. Their debut was in 1960, when they also obtained their best result, finishing eighth.

The Argentineans appear in 17^th place in the FIVB World Ranking and hope to continue moving up after the arrival of veteran head coach Daniel Castellani in 2023. Setter Victoria Mayer, opposite Bianca Cugno and outside hitters Elina Rodríguez and Daniela Bulaich are some of the most experienced players in the squad that will compete in Thailand after middle blocker Bianca Farriol was ruled out due to an injury.

Slovenia

One of the 15 national teams that qualified for the World Championship via the FIVB World Ranking, Slovenia are set to make their first-ever appearance in the tournament. The country’s national team has been gradually following up on the success of their male squad, having appeared in the European Golden League in the last two seasons and finishing fifth in 2025.

Coached by Italian Alessandro Orefice since 2024, the Slovenians currently occupy 25^th place in the FIVB World Ranking. The most experienced players in the team, setter Eva Pavlović Mori and middle blocker Saša Planinšec will guide the country’s young and talented generation, which features the likes of opposite Evá Zatkovič, outside hitter Fatoumatta Sillah and middle blocker Nika Milošič.

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